Workplace Occupations in British Labour History: Rise, Fall, and Historical Legacies

Citation

Clark A (2021) Workplace Occupations in British Labour History: Rise, Fall, and Historical Legacies. Labour History Review, 86 (1). https://doi.org/10.3828/lhr.2021.1

Abstract
First paragraph: In November 2017, workers at the Burntisland Fabrications – BiFab – yards in Fife, Scotland, occupied their workplace in response to the announcement that the yards would close. BiFab, a producer of heavy equipment for offshore oil and gas, as well as platforms for windfarms, asserted that they were unable to pay workers’ wages and would enter administration. This move would occur before the completion of a major contract for an offshore windfarm in the Moray Firth, which they were working on with Dutch multinational, Seaway Heavy Lifting, and Scottish and Southern Energy.2 Rather than accept that closure was an inevitability, the workers agreed at a mass meeting to conduct a ‘work-in’; they would barricade the premises to prevent attempts at asset stripping and continue to work on the contract. As a result of their action, the Scottish Government and the main companies working on the project agreed to ensure wages were paid until the contract was completed.

Journal
Labour History Review: Volume 86, Issue 1